Arab Educational Information Network

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) will soon begin its fourth year of instruction, welcoming approximately 1,600 students to a modern campus. The university has come a long way quickly--in 2003, AUK had no faculty, no students, and no curriculum. The campus was little more than an architectural concept, allowing for the implementation of best practices and products in the university's technology infrastructure. The goal was to create a liberal arts institution that mirrors the American model. About 60 percent of the population in the Middle East is between the ages of 14 and 27, and the demand for an American-style education is so great that AUK raised its admissions standards to slow growth. The technology project involved close collaboration between the AUK president, executive director of Finance and Administration, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, dean of Admissions and Registration, and director of the IT department. During planning, all participants identified instructional support needs and considered anticipated technological advances. This article describes how the university's administrators constructed the university's technology infrastructure and digital campus, which support their mission of providing a high-quality education to more people in the Middle East.(Eric: ERIC)